WHEN THE FOUNDERS of Austin, Texas-based golf-lifestyle brand Criquet Shirts opened up shop a little over two years ago, they didn't look for a PGA-tournament winner to endorse their line of 1970s-inspired organic cotton polos.

A joke? Not entirely. "We wanted our shirts to be for the Ty Webbs of the country club, private or public," said Mr. Brown. "The gentleman golfer, who makes it all look easy, doesn't chase trends, who likes to walk the holes and carry his own bag." Added Mr. Nachman, "Golf is a game but it's just as much a lifestyle. We wanted a high-performance shirt for the 19th Hole."

Interactive: Neo-Classic Links Looks

While the hotshot pro players remain predominantly decked out in the athletic brands they endorse—Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are with Nike; 24 year-old Rickie Fowler with Puma—a league of up-and-coming golf apparel and accessories companies is reviving the golden age of understated country club style. Partly a trickle-down from the fitted silhouette of men's designer fashion, the look is slimmer, cooler and cleaner, with a minimum of logos and flash. It's defiantly not ridiculous. It's golf apparel that "won't embarrass you off the course," said Mr. Brown. "That [classic] look never went out of style," added Mr. Nachman. "It just wasn't being made anymore. Our strategy was to embrace the history and soul of the game, and appeal to those guys who get it."

Apparently, there are plenty of them, mostly ranging in age from early 20s to late 40s, who are looking backward to go fore-ward. They outfit themselves by shopping on golf-wear websites that carry boutique brands, instead of through pro-shops and mega-golf outlets.

This new generation's sartorial self-betterment has coincided with a steady proliferation of upgraded public courses. These players want to look as good as the wildly improved greens. They also want to get in and get out, without the locker-room visit.

"The look on the greens has gotten much better over the past few years with the throwback style filtering in," said Los Angeles-based actor Brian Van Holt, a seasoned amateur golfer who plays an ex-golf pro on the television show "Cougar Town." Mr. Van Holt said he finds the bells and whistles of performance-wear distracting, preferring instead dark, slim polos and flat-front pants.

Ben LeBlanc, a financial adviser based in New York, is of the same mind. "I'd much rather look like classic players [Arnold] Palmer and [Jack] Nicklaus," said Mr. LeBlanc. "I prefer to blend into society when I leave the course, not look like a billboard ad."

One of the newest clothing brands to cater to these neo-traditionalists is Maide (Gaelic for "stick"), a golf-apparel line from the fit-conscious label Bonobos. "We started the label because we felt there was an aesthetic to golfing that had been lost," said brand director Kevin Kelleher. "The sophistication and construction in the golden era of golf was extremely thoughtful. We wanted to bring it back to what was once the most stylish game in the world."

Though Maide's super-lightweight Highland pants are made with new high-tech fabrics, they look like they could have been worn by Mr. Palmer, circa 1950, putting with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

Maide's polo shirts—which are cut just right, not too tight or baggy, and cinched around the bicep—recall those worn by Mr. Palmer. Though a guy sporting Maide, or a similar label like preppy polo maker Peter Millar, wouldn't seem out of place in a bar on a Sunday afternoon, Maide does nod to sporting function. The attention, however, is focused more on concealed details than showy logos.

The Highland pant, for instance, features a rubber strip inside the waistband to prevent polos from untucking mid-swing. There's also a 2-inch zip on the hem to allow a golfer to adjust the break of his trousers over his shoes.

The style divide between logo-laden pros and indie-loving amateurs isn't cut and dry. Some pro players have also taken to the retro look. Thirty-two-year-old Aussie Adam Scott, who won the Masters two weeks ago, did so in a classic polo by Japanese megaretailer Uniqlo. Other ranked players who skew golden age include Keegan Bradley, who wears Tommy Hilfiger; Ryo Ishikawa, who wears Callaway; and Webb Simpson, who, until this year, wore Ralph Lauren's Polo Golf line and now wears Izod.

Men's designer label J.Lindeberg is a pioneer of fashion-meets-function golf-wear. Founder Johan Lindeberg (who sold the company in 2007) conceived its greens-wear collection in the late '90s as an antidote to the "shapeless and baggy" look popular at the time, said Stefan Engström, J.Lindeberg's CEO and brand director.

‘Maide's polo shirts— not too tight or baggy—recall those worn by Arnold Palmer.’

"Although golf fashion has taken a turn for the better, there are still brands offering products for the peacock, featuring colors and details bordering on clowny," Mr. Engström said. His customer, he explained, is not flashy, but confident enough to want an impeccable silhouette.

The brand's attention to these desires has made it popular with tour players such as Robert Rock and Will MacKenzie, as well as golf enthusiasts like Justin Timberlake (who owns his own course) and actor Will Smith.

Golf is as much about the accessories as it is the clothes, and the former have undergone a similar transformation. Portland, Ore.-based MacKenzie Golf Bag Company offers simple leather or ballistic nylon bags with a single strap and either one or two pockets. And Jones Golf Bags—a popular '70s label revived a few years ago—has turned back the clock to its light and minimalist beginnings: a sturdy nylon-and-vinyl body with a single wide strap. "The modern era of golf equipment pays no respect to the heritage of the game," said Jones partner Tim Lemman, whose family bought the company in 2007. "So many golfers just want to get out there and enjoy the nature of golf. They don't need frivolous gimmicks or advanced technology in their bag."

ENLARGE

A scene from 'Caddyshack' with Chevy Chase (right) as Ty Webb.
Everett Collection

Like Criquet's Mr. Nachman and Mr. Brown, Mr. Lemman cited the fictional but clearly inspiring Ty Webb. "The year 'Caddyshack' was released was the peak of the era that influences us most," said Mr. Lemman. "There's an insatiable appetite for vintage design in the market right now." If you're looking to extend that appetite to club head covers, Seamus Golf, based in Beaverton, Ore., has brought back the old tartan-wool caps with a wink to the past.

When it comes to footwear, the classicists are reacting to the technologically advanced running-shoe-like models with a return to lace-up, leather-soled shoes. This spring, footwear company Allen Edmonds introduced its Jack Nicklaus Signature line, which includes a green-and-white saddle shoe.

"I wanted to make elegant brogues that would make me feel like I could conquer the course," said Alex Bartholomew, the female founder and designer of Royal Albartross, an English maker of golf shoes and accessories.

Royal Albartross's often wildly hued, handmade shoes are offered with and without cleats. Ms. Bartholomew doesn't apologize for the price tag—around $500. She points out that the leather soles are both light and water-repellent, and they don't need breaking in because of the supple calfskin linings.

"With a little bit of body heat they very quickly mold to support the player's foot," she explained.

Still, not everyone is buying into the dichotomy that you're either old-school or high-tech-obsessed. "You don't have to make the trade-off," said Stefan Sterns, a New York-based investment banker who belongs to private East Coast clubs Ekwanok and Baltusrol, and generally opts for an understated look. Mr. Sterns strikes the balance with Ralph Lauren's RLX line. "It's athletic material with classic looks," he said. "You can't tell what it's made of until you get up close. And I have a couple of Nike shirts that I love."

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Corrections & Amplifications Golfer Webb Simpson is affiliated with the Izod brand. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said that Mr. Simpson wears Ralph Lauren's Polo Golf line; his partnership with Polo ended as of this year.

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